Tag: retail

Faced with the prospect of new landlords, lovely people, but inevitably suggesting rent/heat hikes, or the alternative, a quasi-colonization of my beloved shop, the decision to close the store was the only course of action this very independent minded person could make.

As the dust gradually settles, I feel much better about the situation! After all, people are in business to make money, and even though I’m certain the store could have remained open as long as the status quo remained intact, it wasn’t in the cards. Unfortunately I wasn’t in any position to aid the landlords in their goals, nor they in mine. Moving on, I wish them well!

The business of Wall Flower Studio sprung up at home, so it now scales back to its roots! This is an exciting prospect.

I’ll continue to offer my products through various online e-commerce sites, offer lessons in online marketing, helping and setting up social media sites for other small businesses, and have enough time and energy to focus on garden design, photography, this blog, and that bloody book I’ve been putting off writing for the past few years!

Except for our basement, currently looking like a contender for that show Hoarders, with everything now home from the shop, I’ve actually enjoyed sorting and organizing, de-cluttering, (planning that garage sale in May), and having time to cook proper meals for my wonderful husband, much to his delight and both of our amazement!

This time at home has been a period of reflection about the evolution of the business over the past four years.

Yes, there were ups and downs, small personal triumphs and many frustrations that at the time seemed cataclysmic, i.e. flooding, mountains of ice/caution tape in front of the shop, driving in snow storms, moving the physical location of the store, and even a car accident, to name but a few.

However, ninety-nine percent of it was the most rewarding activity of my life so far, and with that in mind, I’ll always look back with a full heart towards that store.

Lavender Harvest

Corporate-types won’t likely understand this, but to have had the opportunity to fully engage with one’s true entrepreneurial spirit, and believe me, Wall Flower Studio began on a threadbare shoestring, I feel enormous gratitude and pride to have taken the risk to open a retail storefront. I had the pleasure of meeting many like minds and pursued my passion, even within the context of a small enterprise, which is what many might have judged Wall Flower Studio to be.

I think that’s something to write home about, even if I’m the only one who reads it! 😉

Upon reflection and turning a new page, closing the store doesn’t suggest the failure that I first feared it would. The only way to fail is to never try in the first place. I’d like to celebrate by declaring this isn’t the end of Wall Flower Studio, it’s a new path!

With that in mind, a big thank you goes to family, friends, and each lovely customer who supported this former shopkeeper’s independent spirit on Minden’s Main Street! It truly was my pleasure.

Happy to share that we now have brand new shelving and better lighting for the store! We’re working behind the scenes to employ all the space we can in our wee shop, and do look forward to re-opening on Fri. Jan 22. – Do drop in and have a look! If you have been in before, I hope you like the changes. If you haven’t been in yet, well then I ask, why not??? 😉 But seriously, there are many surprises up my sleeve, yet to share over the years to come. 🙂

– Not only will we have an updated look in the shop, but online, too! Though I’m very happy to continue offering our products on Etsy, one goal of mine has always been to have a proper website. I’ll still be blogging here, however the goal has been achieved, so for a sneak peek, visit Wall Flower Studio’s new website: HERE

(FYI -It’s not quite complete, but I’m working hard behind the scenes taking photographs, writing product descriptions, getting products listed, events slated and much more. Launch is set for early February 2016.)

Last but not least, I’m happy to share that we’re now offering a monthly ‪‎newsletter‬! Subscribe for ‪workshops‬, new product launches, & forthcoming events in the ‪#‎shop:‬ HERE

Right now I’m home, busily packaging all kinds of garden seeds, making soap, bitters, fairy furniture, you name it, but am admittedly missing the shop and all the lovely folk who visit, so I’d like to take this opportunity to wish my friends and customers all the best for 2016.

Thank you for your kindness, inspiration, and for shopping locally. ~ Karen